Government funding to protect shops from ram raids

The New Zealand Government has announced further support to help Police protect small businesses affected by a spike in ram raids, says Minister of Police Poto Williams.

$6 million from the Proceeds of Crime Fund will be invested in a crime prevention programme to be managed by Police which will include solutions such as installing bollards or other protection structures.

“We have heard the concerns of the small businesses being targeted by ram raids and other offending,” Poto Williams said.

“While there has been a significant reduction in youth offending over the past decade, there has also been a recent spike in ram raids and related offending which we urgently need to address for these business owners.

“This funding will enable Police to work closely with vulnerable small retailers to identify effective and practical solutions based on the particular features of each location.

“Police will also look at the range of crime and security risks each small retailer may face, and other options such as fog cannons, security alarms, or screens may be considered,” Poto Williams said.

“Alongside the obviously physical damage, ram raids can also have serious personal mental health and wellbeing impacts on business owners, their families, and staff and these measures help prevent that,” Poto Williams said.

Police will establish and manage the programme of funding for small retailer crime prevention, with work beginning in Auckland and expanding if required.

“Money and assets forfeited under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 go into the Proceeds of Crime Fund. This is exactly what the fund was designed for, to rectify the significant harm such criminal activities cause,” Justice Minister Kris Faafoi said.

According to a government media release, this initiative builds on work done by the National Retail Investigation Support Unit set up by Police in November 2021 in partnership with Retail NZ. In Waikato, Operation Pryor has targeted offenders involved in ram raids, and resulted in 150 arrests and 750 charges laid.

Alongside increased Police prevention work, social and justice Ministers, supported by agencies, are undertaking a broader programme focusing on the causes of child and youth offending and how to build on the success of the existing early interventions approach.

“We know that families need wrap around support, and MSD and other agencies will continue to work with the South Auckland Social Wellbeing Board which have established a cross-agency prototype to provide whanau-centred support for the young people who have been directly involved in ram raids,” Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said.

“So far they have been able to respond to the needs of 19 tamariki and their families which has included re-enrolling them in school and connecting them up with financial assistance for helping them to access appropriate services, and multi-agency wrap around support targeted at each individual,” she said.